Existing communications methods and systems are overly power hungry and/or spectrally inefficient. Complex linear modulation schemes such as, for example, quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), are used vastly in wireless and non-wireless communications. However, performance of such modulation schemes degrades in the presence of phase noise and non-linear distortion associated with the communication channel. Some of these modulation schemes may perform, for example, 4-5 dB below the Shannon capacity bound in the case of severe phase noise. As higher-order modulation is needed to drive more throughput, the result may be a throughput that is even further away from the Shannon capacity limit. That is, the gap between maximum spectral efficiency and actual spectral efficiency may actually increase with increasing QAM order. In addition, higher-order modulation may also be increasingly sensitive to non-linear distortion.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present disclosure as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.